Alaqua Animal Refuge Announces 2020 Sip N Shop: ~ Celebrating a Decade of Sipping ~
Alaqua Animal Refuge announced today that it will host its 10th Annual Sip N Shop event on Friday, April 3 at Emeril’s Coastal Italian in Miramar Beach beginning at 11 a.m.
Presented locally by Insurance Zone, the event is in partnership with the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and is one of five events included in the annual Chi Chi Miguel Throwdown Weekend held each spring in Santa Rosa Beach.
Chairing the event again this year is dynamic duo of Lea and Joe Capers, who have led the success of the Sip N Shop for the past five years. “The Sip N Shop is a super fun occasion when we all, as a community, come together to support Alaqua and the work they do 365 days a year,” said Joe Capers. “Lea and I have two rescue dogs and they are our ‘children.’ We love being involved and supporting this organization so we can help more animals feel the kind of love that we give to ours.”
Celebrating a decade of sipping, this year’s Sip N Shop is once again set to be a festive day of sipping, shopping, socializing, and savoring! Guests will be entertained with live music while browsing through curated shopping collections from boutiques and designers, and “sipping” over seven wines from various vintners in attendance. Current vintners include 30A Coastal Dune Company, AldenAlli Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards, Black Dog Cellars, and Thompson31Fifty Wines.
The celebratory event also includes welcome cocktails and champagne from G. H. Mumm; a specially selected 3-course seated luncheon with wine; an amazing silent auction; fab photo area; and of course, a couple of celebration surprises.
The brainchild of Valerie Thompson, the Sip N Shop began in 2010 and was designed for women to come together for a unified cause. The early days of the Sip N Shop included a small luncheon, sipping, and shopping along 30A. Over the past 10 years, it has now grown into one of Alaqua’s premier and signature fundraising events, and has been a complete sellout for the last two year. Thompson and her husband, Mike, co-founded the Chi Chi Miguel Throwdown Weekend. In fact, the entire weekend is named after Mike, as “Chi Chi Miguel” was his childhood nickname.
The annual event is one of Alaqua’s largest fundraisers in support of the Refuge, and helps to sustain the shelter’s daily operations and provide ongoing funding for a variety of programs and services in support of Alaqua’s mission.
Tickets to the Sip N Shop are on sale now. For more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Sip N Shop and the Chi Chi Miguel Weekend, please visit www.ChiChiMiguel.com or email SipNShop@Alaqua.org.
About Alaqua Animal Refuge
Alaqua Animal Refuge is a no-kill animal shelter and sanctuary, located in the panhandle of Florida. As the Southeast’s premier no-kill 501(c)3 refuge and sanctuary, Alaqua believes that every abused, neglected and homeless animal deserves a second chance. Committed to providing protection, shelter and care to animals in need, this private, non-profit Refuge also offers a full-service adoption center, educational outreach, and community programs that extend far beyond their geographic location. Since its inception in 2007, Alaqua has become a recognized leader in animal rescue, welfare, cruelty prevention, and advocacy. Alaqua is currently in the midst of a relocation and expansion capital campaign to build a one-of-a-kind facility—the first in the United States—on 100 donated acres. The new facility and sanctuary will allow Alaqua to continue all of the important work that is done now, as well as be an educational and training center to empower others to help animals and recreate the model worldwide. To learn more, visit www.Alaqua.org
